Fleeting Moments
by LightLitAflame
Summary: Because sometimes they're the ones that matter the most.
1. Introduction

**Alright, not going to say much about this story. Just know that this'll be here in case I need a way to get back into writing after a writer's block.**

 **Oh, and this'll be the 100 Themes challenge.**

 **Blah, blah, standard disclaimer, I don't own anything, GET ON WITH IT.**

 **And, uh, also, because I KNOW this question will pop up, I'll be taking on the themes out of order.**

 **Yeah, that's all. Enjoy, folks!**

1\. Introduction

In the quiet, forgotten library of Smash Mansion sat a woman.  
This woman considered herself as a scholar of sorts; finding out as much as she could about a subject for a greater cause. She had only recently arrived at the mansion, however. She had much yet to learn.  
 _Dear journal,_  
 _I must apologize. I seem to have neglected you during these past three months. Much has occurred during said time._  
 _Firstly, I have accomplished what I said I would do in my previous entry. Even though I am aware it has caused much heartbreak, I wish they have understood that I_ had _to do it. They are safe now. That is all that ever mattered, in my point of view._  
 _After doing so, I awakened in a strange, new land. This land is filled with strange, metal buildings and some sort of magic that allows all to be connected to each other, at any point in time. I believe Maria referred to it as "the Internet"._  
 _Ah, yes, Maria. The young girl who found me, disoriented and calling out for the others. Bless her kind heart; she had taken me aside and explained all._  
 _My world is one of many, existing in an inclosed space known as "The Greater Nintendo Universe". After I had accomplished my deed, I was sent to the world in the middle of the universe, where most are sent. Maria suffered a similar fate as well._  
 _I lived in the bustling area known as "Smashville" for two and a half months with Maria. She taught me what she knew about the other worlds, though that was not much. She told me that we could never return to our worlds, nor interact with others from our worlds, lest we be killed on the spot._  
 _I do think she was jesting me on that last bit, though._  
 _She said that, if anyone were to die in this centre world, their souls would roam an endless maze for all eternity._  
 _Once again, I hope and pray it was merely a joke._  
 _I do not give up easily. I have done all I could to find out how to return home; I believe I owe it to everyone. Though, recently, certain events have occurred to make it a much simpler task._  
 _Maria spoke of two forbidden areas that lurked beyond the forest near the edge of Smashville. These areas, titled the Assist Hotel and Smash Mansion, were only meant for the greatest fighters in the universe. Though, it seemed they were short on members, for they hosted a contest for others to earn a spot in their fighting tournament._  
 _I had assumed two things upon this revelation. One, that one of my companions would be there, and two, that these warriors would have information I required._  
 _Much to my chagrin, these warriors were far from what I expected._  
"Robin? Must you mutter to yourself at every waking moment?"  
 _There is Zelda, for starters. A cold, calculating princess who possesses the ability to use magic for every waking need. Though she does not display much emotion, she has been more than helpful to my cause._  
"Oh, Zel-Zel. I'm sure Robby is just concentrating very hard right now, that's all."  
 _Peach is the mother, of sorts, to all at Smash Mansion. She can smother you without a second glance, and yet still make you do whatever she wishes with a mere flex of her frying pan._  
 _Yes, journal. She wields a frying pan. The combat prowess of such a thing still eludes me._  
"Lady Palutena, should I make sure Robin isn't going crazy?"  
 _Pit. In all the years I can remember, I have never met someone so bizarre. Pit has wings that protrude from his back. He claims to be an angel, yet he cannot fly. How in Naga's name does that make sense?_  
 _He also follows every whim and need of a certain individual, whom I will speak of next._  
"Now, Pit, I'm sure that Robin isn't going crazy. Maybe we should leave her alone for a bit."  
 _"Lady" Palutena, the self proclaimed "Goddess of Light". While I do admit she has an extraordinary type of magic, I have my doubts on her title. Surely she is not a goddess._  
"Hey, Pit, here's an idea: _quit being such a pushover_."  
 _Samus Aran. The one who, quite obviously, has the loosest tongue. Nothing out of her mouth is censored in the least, though I assume it is because of her profession. She is a bounty hunter, and quite possibly the most feared person in the entire mansion._  
 _And yes, I will admit, she is one of my favourites at the moment._  
"Erm, Miss Aran, I don't think that was the best thing to-"  
 _Shulk. He arrived at the mansion the same time as I. Despite his young age, he is an inventor, and is the only one other than Zelda who helps my cause at the moment._  
"Aw, relax. Pitty doesn't mind; it's all just playful banter right now!"  
 _If you were to ask me "Who is the most insufferable person?", I would undoubtedly say it is Sonic the Hedgehog. Do you recall, journal, that I said Pit was the most bizarre person in this mansion?_  
 _I was wrong. Sonic is, in his own words, "An anthy-antho-_ anthromorphic _hedgehog."_  
 _He also possesses the ability to run at super sonic speeds, making it rather startling when someone asks him to give you a favour to do._  
 _And, finally, he seems to wish to know what you are doing whenever you are doing something, yet he knows nothing about the subject._  
 _In shorter terms: he has no sense of personal space. He attempts to make friends when such actions are against what it is that I wish._  
"Mister Sonic, what does 'banter' mean?"  
"It means talking, moron!"  
 _Two of the youngest here are Toon Link, a boy who seems to have exaggerated depictions of natural features, and Pichu, who is a small, rude mouse-like creature who can create lighting from nothing. The two seem to be troublemakers; almost as if they were younger, more bizarre versions of Lissa._  
"Can we _please_ just leave her alone? I think that we're just making things worse by talking..."  
 _The last person is one of Sonic's friends. She was invited here to spend some time by Peach and Sonic, thus she is not a competitor. She reminds me of myself, but only for the wrong reasons._  
 _Though Blaze the Cat appears to mask it with indifference, I can see it in her eyes. I suspect she suffers the same ailment I once did._  
 _That is another thing I wish to discover: another way to "cure" my previous ailment. I am aware of the route I took, and the fact that it seems to have worked. However, I do not think Blaze with take said route with the same gusto I did..._  
"Hmm...hold on a sec...Aw, mean! Whadda ya mean 'insufferable', Robs?!"  
Before Robin could continue writing, her journal was ripped from her hands. Her pencil quickly followed suit.  
"What in blazes-Sonic! Give that back at once!"  
 _ **ROBIN: Someone I wanna make friends with! But she's acting like a jerk right now, writing mean stuff about her friends! I do**_ __ **so** _ **give people space!**_  
Blaze peered over Sonic's shoulder, hoping to sneak a peek at what Robin had wrote about her. "Erm, Sonic, do you mi-"  
Sonic just laughed. "Aw, don't worry, Princess! She just thinks you're sick for some reason, that's all!"  
 _ **Princess is one of the healthiest people around, Robs! I think I'd notice if she was sick, after all, she**_ __ **is** _ **one a my friends!**_  
Robin finally managed to pry her journal away from the hedgehog's grasp, clutching it protectively to her chest.  
"Aw man, I was just gettin' started!" Sonic said, pouting.  
"Away with you, hedgehog!" Robin said, pointing to the door of the library.  
"Alright, alright, whatever. Later, guys!"  
Robin continued to point toward the door, looking at everyone else. With grumbles of disapproval, they soon filed out as well. That left Robin to continue writing in peace.  
 _I apologize for that, journal. Sonic managed to get his hands on my writing instrument-a pencil, I believe? They seem to save much on ink, at least-and wrote some of his piece._  
 _I will attempt to blot that bit out later._  
 _To end my latest entry, I will simply say this:_  
 _I did not enter this tournament to make new friends. I only came here to learn how to return to my family and friends in Ylisse._  
 _And, just in the slightest chance..._  
 _...Chrom. Lucina. Morgan. I_ will _come back. This I promise you three. No matter how long it takes, I_ will _return home._  
 _With love,_  
 _Robin._


	2. Do Not Disturb

63\. Do Not Disturb

"Erm, everyone? I hate to intrude on your days, but has anyone seen Sonic and Blaze?"  
Robin was torn from her thoughts with that simple statement from Peach. She had just been in the middle of studying a new tome she picked up in the market, Shulk eagerly examining one of her old ones across from her.  
"No. I have better things to do around here," said Samus, fiddling with some sort of new invention.  
The others all said their own versions of "No", and Peach turned to Robin and Shulk.  
"Robby? Shulk?" Peach said, letting out an exasperated sigh. The princess _did_ seem very frazzled, obviously under a lot of stress. In her hand she clutched a cookbook.  
"Unfortunately, Shulk and I have been reading since I returned from the store. So we are not the most reliable people to ask at the moment," Robin replied, casually looking back at her tome.  
"Well...could you two please see if they're in their rooms? I haven't seen them in hours, and I have work to do..." Peach said, successfully implementing what Robin had learned was called "Puppy-dog Eyes".  
"Sure thing, Peach. Robin? You check Sonic's room, I'll check Blaze's?" Shulk piped up, responding before Robin had a chance to refuse.  
Reluctantly, Robin put down her time and stood up. "...I suppose so."  
"Thank you, both of you. Extra dessert at dinner tonight," Peach said, going back to her stove. Almost everyone in the room groaned.  
"Aw, man! I would've volunteered if I knew more food was at stake!" Pit said, looking very dejected.  
Robin sighed. "Must I always be the selfless one? Pit, you can have my dessert."  
Robin quickly left the room before Pit could smother her in a hug. She still heard his cry of joy, though.  
" _Okay...Sonic's room._ " Robin thought. The only distinguishing features she could remember about the door to Sonic's room was that he had stolen her Bronze Sword to etch his name into the wood. She strolled down a random hallway of Smash Mansion, hearing the other fighters going about their days all the way. Robin couldn't help but grin when she heard Marth and Ike arguing in the adjacent hall. " _Imagine if Lucina discovered that_ this _was the might of the Hero-King. Why, she be shocked into silence!_ " She thought with a chuckle. " _And to think that Chrom was descented from him...to be honest, the only thing I see that resembles Marth is the hair._ " Her smile fell. " _And, of course, they have the same heroic resolve...If I had not taken matters into my own hands, I fear that Chrom would've killed Grima himself, just to keep me alive..._ "  
Robin's train of thought was interrupted when she smacked into the end of the hallway.  
Literally.  
"Ow! Damn it!" She said, clutching her forehead and starting to rub it soothingly.  
She glanced around. Only two doors, both on opposite ends of the hallway, were there. The door on the right was decorated with various, multicoloured symbols and was painted red and light blue. " _Most likely Shulk's room,_ " Robin surmised.  
Robin was still a tad disoriented, so when she glanced at the door on the left, she could only make out one feature.  
And that was, disturbingly, a sign on the doorknob that read: "Do Not Disturb".  
Robin rose to her feet, tempted to knock on said door, before catching herself reaching for the doorknob. " _No, Robin! What in blazes are you doing?! Whatever this person is doing is their own business! Nobody interrupted you and Chrom on your wedding night, did they?_ " She berated herself, turning away from the door in question.  
She stopped, mid step, after hearing a groan coming from the door.  
Now, Robin was familiar with groans. There were groans from creatures such as Risen, and then there were...other groans.  
Not being able to tell which of the two this groan was, Robin quietly stepped back to the door and leaned closer towards it.  
Another groan. Two, in fact. Repeated crys of the word "yes". And...was that the faint sound of bed springs creaking?  
Robin quickly backed away from the door, turning scarlet. She buried her face in her hands, asking herself if she actually just heard that. She shook her head and glanced at the door once more, seeing something that made her face go from red to white.  
There, messily carved into the top of the door, was the word "SONIC".  
Robin dashed back to the kitchen, blushing up a storm. She quickly sat down and buried her face into her tome before anyone could she her face.  
"Gah! That was quick, Robin!" Pit said, jumping out of his seat.  
"...So then. Were your efforts worth something?" Zelda asked, breaking her previous silence.  
Robin refused to reply. " _Oh Gods oh Gods oh Gods I did not hear that I did not hear that I did NOT hear that-_ "  
"Robin?"  
" _I'm a terrible person oh Gods what if they heard me I am SUCH a horrible person-_ "  
"If you aren't gonna tell us, I might as well go check mysel-"  
"NO!"  
Everyone stared at Robin.  
"I mean-t-they're there but I really don't think they wish to be intruded upon-"  
"Um, guys? This was on Sonic's door."  
Robin had failed to even notice Shulk in the doorway, his face as bright red as Robin's had been. Sure enough, in his hand was the sign in question, clearly stating to everyone what exactly Sonic and Blaze were up to.  
"...Oh. _Oh._ " Samus said, chuckling to herself. "Damn, never thought Blue had the guts."  
"What? Had the guts to do what?"  
Now everyone's attention was turned to Pit.  
"...You must be joking," Zelda said after a moment's silence.  
"Come on, guys! What does that mean? Don't leave me in the dark!" Pit asked, glancing at Samus.  
"Don't look at me, Angelface. It's Palutena's fault for not telling you yet," Samus said, a rare grin on her face.  
"N-now, everyone! I-I'm sure that _absolutely nothing_ is going on up there!" Peach said, quickly sporting a blush of her own.  
Any further arguments were quickly stopped when Toon Link and Pichu came crawling out of the vent cover in the corner of the room. The two were giggling to themselves excitedly.  
"Oh man, did you see when-"  
-yeah, I didn't know people could do that move-"  
Peach cleared her throat. "You two? Where exactly were you?"  
The two looked up at Peach, smiling brightly. Their response was said at the exact same time.  
"Vents above Sonic's room."  
Almost everyone's jaws dropped. Only Pit was left, simply looking confused.  
"A-and were both Sonic and Blaze in there?" Peach asked.  
"Uh huh!"  
"W-were they doing anything...strange?"  
The duo looked confused. "Not really, Miss Peach," Toon said.  
Peach sighed with relief, reaching for a glass of water and taking a long sip.  
Pichu piped up right after this. "Yeah! They were just having fun on the bed!"  
Peach's eyes shot open. She spat out her drink, proceeding to mildly choke on some of the water she accidentally inhaled. Zelda stood up and soothingly patted Peach's back until she stopped coughing.  
"Alright, THAT IS IT!" Peach yelled after recovering, marching out of the room.  
Everyone stood there.  
"...Screw it, I wanna hear this," Samus eventually said, putting down her gadget and leaving to pursue Peach.  
"I'm going too," Robin said. "Zelda, Shulk?"  
"N-no thank you...I-I think I need to take a walk..." Shulk said, looking a tad ill.  
"Absolutely not. Such an act is utterly atrocious. I will be in the library," Zelda said, gathering her things. "If you regain your senses, Robin, you are welcome to join me."  
"Fine then," Robin said, running after the mushroom princess and intergalactic bounty hunter.  
"...Voyeurs..." Zelda muttered as she left.  
Toon, Pichu and Pit all remained in the room, looking completely baffled. "...What's with them?" Pichu asked, turning to Pit.  
Pit shrugged and pulled out his 3DS. "I dunno."

"Oh my goodness," Peach whispered.  
"Heh, thought you guys were joking," Samus said.  
"Why are we doing this?" Robin asked, her face undoubtedly crimson once more.  
Sure enough, the three women were leaning against the door to Sonic's room, hearing groaning and moaning every few minutes.  
"I-I-I-I-I-" Peach attempted to say, words seeming to fail her at the moment.  
"One, because I wanted to see if you and Shulk were bullshitting me or not," Samus said, a look of disturbing glee on her face, "and two, because I wanted to see Peach have a mental breakdown."  
"We should go," Robin said. "Leave the two to their own business."  
"Hell no! This is the only time I've seen Sonic get some action! Wouldn't miss this for the world!"  
"Both of you, shush!" Peach said, leaning in closer.  
Sure enough, a scream of pure happiness followed almost exactly after the other two girls went quiet.  
Now, after that, a few things happened at once.  
One, Samus pushed past Robin to listen in better.  
Two, Peach recoiled away from the door.  
Three, Robin, who was stuck in the middle, tripped and brought the other two down with her...  
...directly on the door.  
"YEEEAAAAAGGGHHHH!"  
The door gave away rather easily, revealing Sonic and Blaze...  
...holding video game controllers?  
"Oh! Hey, guys! You need something?" Sonic said, turning away from his tv screen and looking at the crumpled pile of Peach, Samus and Robin. Blaze also leaned away from the bed the two were sitting on to get a glance.  
The three women simply laid there, dumbstruck looks on all their faces.  
"Well, anyway, that move was the X-Factor. Press right trigger and X at the same time to pull it off, but you can only use it once per battle!" Sonic said, turning back to Blaze and demonstrating the move.  
"Okay...but I highly doubt that'll make a difference if I'm facing you..." Blaze said, looking down sheepishly.  
"Aw, quit say in' that! If it weren't for the X-Factor, you totally would've had me beat in that last match!" Sonic said, grinning.  
"Y-you really think so?"  
"I _know_ so. Guess that means I taught you well!"  
Sonic looked back to the three women, who remained unmoved. Since Sonic had turned, he missed Blaze's blush from his comment.  
"Uh, you three okay?"  
"...Knew it was too good to be true..." Samus finally said, looking completely disappointed.  
"...This entire time...you were playing VIDEO GAMES?!" Peach shouted, jumping up to her feet.  
"Well, yeah! What else would we be doing?" Sonic said, remaining blissfully ignorant.  
"Well, you know, the obvious!" Robin said, looking a bit miffed as well.  
Judging by the now heavy blush on Blaze's face, she knew what they were implying. However, Sonic kept the exact same idiotic grin.  
"A-ah, Sonic? I-I think that's enough Marvel vs Capcom lessons for today. I'm just going to go with these three-" Blaze clearly had another word in mind for the three, "- _ladies_."  
"Okay! Same time tomorrow?"  
Blaze smiled. "Certainly."  
"Yay! I might as well go get Pit, get him to play. Later, Princess!"  
Sonic ran out of the room, leaving Peach, Samus and Robin to their fates.  
"...Perverts," Blaze said, blushing and glancing quickly at a wall.  
"We are not!" Peach cried out.  
"Then why, pray tell, were you listening in on us?!"  
"...Well, when you put it that way..." Peach muttered.  
"W-well, then why exactly was there groaning coming from this room?!" Samus shouted, pointing accusatorially at the cat.  
"Obviously because I wasn't winning," Blaze said, clenching her fists, "ever."  
"And the "yes"s?" Peach asked.  
"Sonic, when he started winning."  
"...And the creaking bed?" Robin asked, dreading the answer. She already knew they had guessed horribly wrong.  
" _Once again_ , Sonic gets excited when he starts winning. He was simply jumping for joy. Now, without further questions..." Blaze looked up, rage brimming in her eyes.  
Robin couldn't help but think of a similar situation when Blaze yelled out a certain word.  
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOUT!"  
 _Dear journal,_  
 _Today was eventful, for all the wrong reasons._  
 _Today brought to mind a certain "incident" that took place back home._  
 _Today I learned that "Do Not Disturb" signs do not always mean what you think they do._  
 _Let's leave it at that._  
 _Yours truly,_  
 _Robin._


	3. Innocence

**Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me~**

 **Well, look who decided to crawl out of her hole in the ground? I've gotta apologize for not writing much lately; it's mostly due to laziness on my part. Just so you guys know: Large amounts of FFVII, Bayonetta 2, Xenoblade Chronicles and Fullmetal Alchemist do not make a productive writer.**

 **But, thankfully for you guys, I opened up Awakening again and remembered that I set Robin's birthday to be my own! Add that little revelation to my research into the language of flowers and an…event that recently happened and I made this!**

 **So, enjoy, I suppose.**

8\. Innocence

* * *

 _"Hello, Lucy. What are you making?"_

 _"Well, I wanted to make a flower crown, but Daddy isn't here to take me to the field."_

 _"Aw, don't worry. We'll take you there!"_

 _"Really? Yay! Thank you Big Sister, Big Brother!"_

 _"Lucy, why do you want to make a flower crown, anyway?"_

 _"I wanted to make something for Mommy, silly!"_

"Rain seems to be getting worse..."

The mood was melancholic in Smash Mansion. The day prior, Robin had lost half of her work. She was now farther away from home than she'd ever been, and it was hitting her hard. Throughout the day, an amalgamation of Smashers had visited her in an attempt to cheer her up. None of those attempts had worked. Robin just continue lazily flicking her pencil across her desk, not showing any other reaction.

But, surprisingly, somebody had roused her from her despair. Sweet, shy Lucas, had timidly asked for Robin to take him to an area in town he was all too familiar with. It broke every Smasher's heart, having to take him to the graveyard every month to visit his family.

In the meantime, the other Smashers were bored out of their minds. Samus was absentmindedly strumming a guitar, Pit was focusing on a new game he bought, the kids were singing along to some silly song on the TV, Peach was humming to herself and sipping some tea.

"So, Marth," the pink princess started after taking another sip of tea, "I must say, your English has certainly improved! But, of course, it's extremely sweet that you honour your heritage by taunting in Japanese."

"Thank you, Peach. It is truly an honour to receive such a comment," Marth replied, taking a swig of his own tea.

"So, how's Caeda doing?"

"Well, actually. Me and her have never been happier."

"My, my. When'll we be receiving the wedding invites?" Peach said, a small laugh following.

"That depends. When will we being getting the invites to _your_ wedding with Mario?" Marth gave Peach an equally playful smirk.

"Hm, perhaps when the cosmos are reborn," Rosalina added, floating past the two royals with an umbrella in her hands.

"Wha- _Rosie_!"

The three shared a laugh.

"Peach, I'm heading out to get a few things. Are we running out of anything?" Rosalina asked, after the laughter had subsided.

"No, not that I can recall. Be careful out there, Rosie!"

Rosalina floated away, heading for the foyer. She smiled when she heard the children all laughing along to their show. " _They are so cute sometimes,_ " she thought. Rosalina reached for her coat, only to find someone hiding behind it.

"Please...no more death liquid..."

"Ah-Sonic. Why exactly are you hiding behind everyone's coats?" Rosalina asked, ever calm.

Sonic shivered. "There are so many windows...this is the only place where the death from above can't get me."

Rosalina pouted and thought for a moment, glancing around. "Well, I'll tell you what. The terrarium only has a glass dome; surely that's a safe place?"

Sonic weakly smiled. "Okay. I'll just convince Squirtle that Peach needs more hot water for her tea or something. See ya, Rose!" With that, the Blue Blur sped away.

Rosalina smiled again. " _I'm glad I accepted the invitation. Everyone is so kind and adorable here._ " She pulled on her coat, opened her umbrella, and headed out into the torrent that awaited her.

Clearly, nobody had been exaggerating. The rain beat down on everything with the force of an angry Thwomp, the wind twisting the nearby trees into impossible forms. If Rosalina hadn't remembered her wand, she guessed that she wouldn't have been able to see a thing. Struggling to keep her umbrella from falling victim to the wind, Rosalina made her way forwards, through the forest and towards the town.

Surprisingly, the rain was a lot less aggressive in town. " _Perhaps somebody told Rayquaza that we were in his lake, and he had another legendary to deliver his judgement,_ " Rosalina mused, pulling out her coins. All she needed were a few Starbits for the Lumas and some gears and wrenches for herself, but who could complain if she took her time getting them?

Rosalina scowled at her own train of thought. It would be unnecessarily cruel to enjoy herself when the others were suffering from the storm. " _When I return, I'll get Zelda and Palutena to help me put a stop to this awful storm!_ " She vowed.

Her trips to the stores were uneventful. Though she questioned why she now had to pay to get Starbits, she chalked it up to being equivalent exchange and carried on without saying a word. Holding her bags with one arm, Rosalina was about to make her way back to the mansion when she heard a voice.

"Daddy..."

Rosalina halted in her tracks, turning to find the source of the voice. Eventually, thanks to the subsequent sniffles and sobs, she found a little girl.

She was curled up in one of the alleyways, her light blue dress stained with mud. She tucked a strand of blue hair behind her ear and wiped her eyes, muttering under her breath.

"Are you alright, dear?" Rosalina asked the girl.

The girl looked up, startled. She rubbed at her eyes, their blue colour masked from the puffiness from her crying. She sniffled. "I-I don't know where I am and I can't find Daddy anywhere," she said after a moment.

Rosalina knelt down to the girl's level. "What's your name, honey?"

The girl sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. "D-Daddy calls me Lucy, but my real name's Lucina."

"Well, Lucy," Rosalina said with a smile, "my name is Rosalina, but everyone calls me Rose." Rosalina held out a hand and let a few drops of rain hit it. "I think it's too muggy out here. How about we go back to my home for now, and we'll look for your Daddy after the rain goes away?"

Lucy stood up and futilely tried to brush some of the mud off of her dress. "O-okay."

Rosalina looked to the sky after an ominous lightning bolt lit it up. It was too risky to use a Launch Star right now. Besides, would Lucy even be able to use one? " _I could always go back the way I came, but..._ " Rosalina inadvertently thought of what Shulk once told her about rainstorms back in his home.

" _Thunderstorms were pretty rough to get through in general, but occasionally powerful and rare monsters showed up during them. Sure, they were easy to beat in a group, not to mention we got some pretty good gear for beating them, but you'd have to be crazy to take one on alone._ "

Rosalina hummed to herself, trying to think of a way home without Lucy coming to harm. " _I may have to call Palutena sooner than expected..._ "

"Well, what have we here?"

Lucy hid behind Rosalina at the sound of the new voice. Rosalina, on the other hand, just scowled.

"I was unaware you had left the mansion as well, Miss Cereza," she said after a moment.

Bayonetta smirked. "Had to stock up somehow, Starbright," she drawled, shaking a container filled with lollipops at her. She was wearing an extravagant white dress and hat; something that looked immediately out of place in that area and in that kind of weather.

"What is it you want?" Rosalina asked, her gaze meeting the Umbra Witch's.

"Now, now, Starbright. Don't want to break off our deal so hastily, right? I just stopped by after seeing you squatting in an alleyway," Bayonetta casually said, leaning back against the wall.

Lucy curiously stepped out from behind Rosalina and approached Bayonetta.

"Why, hello there. What's your name, little one?" Bayonetta asked.

Lucy puffed up her chest, attempting to look threatening. "I'm Lucina, daughter of Exalt Chrom and Princess of Ylisse!"

Bayonetta playfully smirked. "And I'm Bayonetta, daughter of Balder and one of the last Umbra Witches."

"Witch?" Lucy looked interested in this, and she thought for a moment. "You mean...you can use magic, like Big Brother and Mommy?"

"Mm hm. In fact..." Bayonetta tucked one hand behind Lucy's ear, seemingly pulling a purple butterfly lollipop out from thin air.

Lucy gasped in delight and eagerly snatched the lollipop from Bayonetta's grasp.

Bayonetta chuckled. "Cute." She turned to Rosalina. "Where's her Mum and Dad?"

Rosalina crossed her arms, suspicious of how interested Bayonetta was. "No clue about the mother, but she says that she can't find her father." Rosalina raised an eyebrow. "Why exactly are you so interested, Cereza?"

Bayonetta pretended to think for a moment, holding a finger to her chin. "Alright, I suppose I ought to be the charitable one. I'll help you get her back to the mansion." Bayonetta's eyes twinkled behind her glasses. "Besides, wouldn't want her to cry again, hm?"

Rosalina grumbled in response. It was true. There was no way she was getting Lucy back to the mansion without help, and Bayonetta was the only one able to help her. Instead of gracing her with a response, however, Rosalina turned back to Lucy.

"Alright, sweetie. Miss Bayonetta and I are going to bring you back to the mansion, then we'll find your Daddy. Okay?" Rosalina said softly.

Lucy nodded, still sucking on her lollipop.

The two women nodded in each other's direction, and the three set off towards the dark woods.

Unfortunately, Rosalina had the right to be concerned. Rarer monsters _had_ come out during the storm. The fearsome beasts were only more dangerous in that weather, which was most likely why they only revealed themselves then. Clubberskulls could easily be released by one missed attack due to the limited visibility. The wind could throw them directly into the path of a Crazy Taxi. However, the most terrifying thing was that the trademark tune of an Orne, the only warning you had to hide or run, was muffled by the roars of the tempest.

As painful as it was to admit, Rosalina was grateful for Bayonetta's help. She'd almost run into the path of a particularly Orne; Bayonetta had noticed just in time and pulled her back into the trees.

Lucy, on the other hand, was having the time of her young life. Protected by Rosalina's magic, the girl was eagerly watching every battle the duo fought, always getting more and more surprised when she saw them break out a new trick.

Finally, after a good hour of nonstop battles, the trio arrived at Smash Mansion. While Rosalina and Bayonetta limped through the door, both of them nursing their own wounds, Lucy simply skipped inside and smoothed out her dress.

"That was really fun! It's like when Uncle Henry and Auntie Tharja play with Noire!"

Rosalina wasn't sure what exactly to make of that statement. She settled for ignoring it in favour of rubbing the spot where a Clubberskull got a good hit in.

"Well then. I'd love to stay and chat, but I have business to attend to." Bayonetta adjusted the tattered remains of her hat, her outfit having been destroyed near the beginning of their trek in favour for her trademark skin suit. "Particularly business of the clothing kind. I suppose I'll be seeing you later, Starbright."

Lucy, previously looking around the mansion curiously, ran up and hugged Bayonetta's leg. "Bye bye, Miss Bay!"

Bayonetta smiled, as if a fond memory was replaying in her head. "Farewell, little one."

And with that, she finally slunk back into the shadows. Rosalina breathed a sigh of relief, using her wand to summon the previously abandoned groceries. "Lucy, come on now," she said, heading towards the kitchen. The girl obediently followed her.

The boredom that was previously there remained still. Peach and Marth were still having a conversation, Corrin having joined them. Kirby was quietly trying to sneak food out of the fridge. A few Pikmin, controlled by Olimar, had teamed up to water a few of the plants. Dark Pit was carving something into the table with part of his bow.

When Lucy laid eyes on Marth, however, the previous tranquility of it all disappeared.

"DADDY!" Lucy rushed forwards, eager to see Marth's face. However, she quickly slowed her pace. "Oh...you're not Daddy..." She said, quietly.

Marth was just staring at Lucy blankly. "Erm..."

"Well, hello there!" Peach said with a light laugh. This followed, however, with her throwing her frying pan at a retreating Kirby, who proceeded to drop his bounty and flee for his life. The Pikmin had already fled, with Olimar running after them and whistling frantically all the way. Corrin had reached for her blade, only having relaxed when she saw it was only a small girl.

"Hi..." Lucy said, having gone back to being a bit shy.

Peach glared at Dark Pit for a minute, after seeing what he was doing. He only rolled his eyes and went back to his work. "So, Rosie, who's this little angel?"

Rosalina quickly explained Lucy's story and introduced Peach and Marth to the little girl, having gathered that her father must look a bit like Marth.

"Oh, you poor thing!" Peach exclaimed, having latched onto Lucy and giving her the biggest of bear hugs.

"Nobody should never have to be away from their family," Corrin added.

"Um...Miss Rose?" Lucy shifted from foot to foot. "Are...are there any flowers here?"

Rosalina raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You would like to go to the terrarium?"

Lucy nodded. "Mm hm."

Rosalina took Lucy's hand, waving goodbye to Peach, Marth and Corrin. Halfway down the hallway, the duo heard a small cry. Without any further warning, a Luma flew up and nuzzled Rosalina's chest.

"Ah!" Lucy cried, her eyes lifting up.

Rosalina smiled and cradled the small, star-shaped being. "This is a Luma, one of my children. This one's name is Orion," she said, the aforementioned Luma floating up to Lucy.

She hugged it. "He's so soft...like a magic pillow!" Lucy said with a giggle.

All the way to the terrarium Lucy cuddled Orion. Rosalina didn't complain, her mind distracted by the fact that Lucy's father was nowhere to be found. " _That poor man...he must be worried out of his mind right now..._ "

"Hiya, Rose!"

Rosalina jumped in fright. Sonic had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, greeting her with a friendly smile. Orion squealed and flew upwards, out of Lucy's grasp, to play in Sonic's quills.

"You look funny, mister! Are you like Auntie Panne?" Lucy asked, undeterred by the Mobian's appearance.

Sonic's smile only widened when he saw the girl. He pretended to think, a near perfect reflection of what Bayonetta had done earlier. "Hmm...nope, don't remember a Panne! What's your name, kiddo?"

"Lucy!"

"Nice ta meet ya, Lucy! I'm Sonic!"

"So, Lucy, did you want to pick flowers?" Rosalina asked, butting into the conversation.

Lucy nodded.

"It okay if I help?" Sonic sheepishly scratched the back of his neck, Orion having gone off to play minutes prior. "See, ah, all of that...death liquid raining down above us is makin' me nervous."

"Yeah! I want...one of everything!" Lucy said, jumping into action and picking a few daisies.

"...I suppose that means we're lending a hand?"

After, much to Ivy's chagrin, picking a few of every flower, the three were sitting at the base of a large oak tree, sorting out the flowers.

"So Lucy, why d'ya want so many flowers?" Sonic asked, eyeing a yellow rose.

"Well, I wanted to make a flower crown for Mommy! That's why I got Big Brother and Big Sister to take me to Mommy's field!"

Rosalina looked up from the pile of flowers, spotting Lucy already starting to make a flower crown. "Well, I'm sure your mother will love it, Lucy."

The three sat there for a while, each making their own personal flower crowns. After quite a bit of time has passed, Sonic sheepishly held up his own flower crown: a crude patchwork of yellow roses, Black-eyed Susans, and edelweisses. "Uh...I think I messed up somewhere," he said, a goofy grin on his face.

Lucy giggled, having finished her own flower crown a while ago.

" _Daisies, violets, and zinnias,_ " Rosalina noted mentally. She glanced at her own creation: a combination of orchids, hibiscuses, jasmines and pink carnations.

"How's yours turning out, Lucy?" Sonic asked, trying to put his flower crown on without it being destroyed further by his quills.

"Good!" Lucy said, going back to her own work. She strung another pink carnation onto her creation. She hummed a little song to herself as she continued her pattern of pink carnations, white violets and bluebells. After a moment though, her smile faded. "...I miss Mommy..." Lucy mumbled, letting the completed flower crown drop onto her dress.

Rosalina was about to comment and comfort the young girl, when a timid voice spoke.

"M-mister Sonic...?" Asked Lucas, stepping forwards a bit. "Miss Peach w-wants to see you."

"Aw man, she must've noticed that I broke a table..." Sonic muttered with a pout. "Alright, Luke! I'll head back with ya!" With that, Sonic stood up. He adjusted his flower crown, waved goodbye to Lucy, and walked off with Lucas.

Rosalina heard Sonic greet Robin, faintly. She ignored this,ngoing back to her own work.

"Rose, I was wondering if you had anything on alternate dimen-"

"MOMMY!"

Rosalina's head shot up like a rocket, just in time to see Lucy dash towards a shocked Robin. The young girl embraced Robin's legs, Robin not moving an inch.

"...How..." Robin whispered. She then knelt down and tearfully embraced Lucy back.

"I knew you'd come back, Mommy! Daddy said you would!" Lucy exclaimed, not noticing the lingering shock in Robin's eyes.

"Sweetie, why are you here?" Robin asked, her voice cracking. She looked at her apparent daughter, tears brimming in her eyes.

"I wanted to-oh!" Lucy looked at the flower crown for her mother she held in her hands, and put it on Robin's head. "Happy birthday, Mommy!"

"..."

"Mommy?" Lucy looked at Robin. "Why are you crying? Do you not like the present?"

"N-not at all, sweetie. It's just..." Robin's tears began flowing freely. "Gods, I missed you so, so much..."

Robin latched onto Lucy, as if she was about to slip from her grasp. Lucy, a cheerful smile on her face, happily embraced her mother back.

Rosalina quietly slipped out of the terrarium, eager to let the mother and daughter have their moment. She floated towards Orion, who was playing with Pichu near the entrance of the kitchen. She waved a few Starbits around, causing Orion to jump into her arms.

Rosalina let out a wistful sigh. " _Innocence is such a precious thing..._ "

 _Dear Robin's Journal,_

 _Seeing as Robin is a tad preoccupied at the moment, I suppose I shall write for her._

 _While I do not know much about the circumstances of Robin's past, I can tell that something unsavoury took place. I can tell that it pained her to be away from her home for so long, and that she was working herself to the bone to return._

 _She has explained some things to me, though. Only the Smashers she trusts the most have this information. She said that a cataclysmic event would have taken place in her home, and that she'd given her own life to prevent it._

 _It is clear to me now that losing her work had caused her to lose hope. Whatever Lucas had done to remedy this is unclear, but it seems to have worked. As a mother myself, I can tell that seeing her daughter again has inspired her to continue her research. For now, she has two people to get home._

 _Robin. While I tend not to give out much advice, I do have something to offer you that I believe you already know._

 _Cherish your loved ones. Spend all the time with them that you can. You may never know when these moments may cease altogether._

 _May the stars shine down on you,_

 _Rosalina._

* * *

… **Just two little things for this time.**

 **One: I actually did a lot of research into flower meanings for this one. Each flower mentioned has a trait that, I believe, corresponds to the personality and character of the user of said flower.**

 **For example, one of Lucy's flowers was a daisy. Daisies happen to represent the title of today's chapter, innocence.**

 **See what I'm getting at?**

 **And two…I will admit to tearing up a bit at Rose's last line.**

 **For those of you who know me from DeviantArt…you'll know that I posted something back in September.**

 **On September eleventh, 2015, my second day of high school…my Poppa passed away.**

 **I mean, sure. He was having heart problems, and he was getting older…but it stung. Hard.**

 **I know that somebody's probably out there right now, furiously typing that ANs aren't blog posts, but…I jut want everyone to know that I was writing from the heart, there.**

 **It is now 12:06 where I live. I'm officially fifteen.**

 **And I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure I won't waste any more years doing something I don't care about.**


End file.
